Old-world-genus
Guides
Parasteatoda
Colourful Comb-footed Spiders
Parasteatoda is a genus of comb-footed spiders (family Theridiidae) first described by Allan Frost Archer in 1946. The genus name derives from Greek "para-" (near) combined with the related genus Steatoda. Species in this genus are characterized by a teardrop-shaped or nearly spherical abdomen with highly variable coloration, and possess the comb-footed spines on the fourth leg typical of theridiids. The genus contains 42 species and one subspecies as of October 2025, distributed primarily across the Old World with many species in Asia and New Guinea, though several have been introduced to the Americas and Europe through human commerce. The best-known member, Parasteatoda tepidariorum (Common House Spider), has become a significant model organism for evolutionary developmental biology research.